GOD KNOWS HOW WEAK AND UNWORTHY WE ARE.
1st Peter 5:5–6, “Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one and another, because, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time.”
2nd Timothy 4:3 –4, says, the time will come when men will not put up with sound teaching. Jesus said, His family members are those who do the Father’s will, and as well said if you obey My commands, you will remain in My love. John 15:10, “If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in His love.” “God who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions. It is by grace you have been saved, not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:4–5, 9)
To live a worthy life, then, does not mean to live so perfectly that we deserve God’s welcome. If we could earn our way to heaven, then Christ did not need to die for us. Galatians 2: 21, “I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” Romans 4:4, “Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation.” Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
The truth is that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. 1st Timothy 1:15, “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the worst.”
Galatians 1:6 says, He called you by the grace of Christ.” I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel.”
Since the Christian life responds to a “call” we first learn to listen. Listen to God’s call. Listen with open ears. Listen carefully and honestly. John 10: 3–4,”The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls His own sheep by name and lead them out. When He has brought out all His own, He goes on ahead of them, and His sheep follow Him because they know His voice.” Acts of Apostles: 2:42, “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”
Apollos learned more accurately from Priscilla and Aquila. Acts of Apostles 18:24-26 “Meanwhile, a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandra came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the Synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately.”
Timothy began by listening. 1st Timothy 1:2–5, “To Timothy my true son in the faith. Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer nor devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. These promote controversies rather than God’s work which is by faith. The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.”
1st Timothy 6:12 “Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”
Likewise, each of us became a Christian by listening, and we should continue in the same way. Colossians 2:6-7, “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness”
Like all little children, they are eager to learn more. There are many things to learn.
Hebrews 5:11 “We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn.” Hebrew 6:1, “Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death and of faith in God.”
Those who do not listen to Christ will be completely cut off.
Acts of Apostles, 3 : 22 – 23 « For Moses said, « The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people, you must listen to everything he tells you. Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from among His people.”
Acts of Apostles 2:42 says, “Afterwards they continued to listen, devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching.”
1st Peter 5:5–6, “Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one and another, because, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time.”
2nd Timothy 4:3 –4, says, the time will come when men will not put up with sound teaching. Jesus said, His family members are those who do the Father’s will, and as well said if you obey My commands, you will remain in My love. John 15:10, “If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in His love.” “God who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions. It is by grace you have been saved, not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:4–5, 9)
To live a worthy life, then, does not mean to live so perfectly that we deserve God’s welcome. If we could earn our way to heaven, then Christ did not need to die for us. Galatians 2: 21, “I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” Romans 4:4, “Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation.” Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
The truth is that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. 1st Timothy 1:15, “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the worst.”
Galatians 1:6 says, He called you by the grace of Christ.” I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel.”
Since the Christian life responds to a “call” we first learn to listen. Listen to God’s call. Listen with open ears. Listen carefully and honestly. John 10: 3–4,”The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls His own sheep by name and lead them out. When He has brought out all His own, He goes on ahead of them, and His sheep follow Him because they know His voice.” Acts of Apostles: 2:42, “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”
Apollos learned more accurately from Priscilla and Aquila. Acts of Apostles 18:24-26 “Meanwhile, a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandra came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the Synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately.”
Timothy began by listening. 1st Timothy 1:2–5, “To Timothy my true son in the faith. Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer nor devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. These promote controversies rather than God’s work which is by faith. The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.”
1st Timothy 6:12 “Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”
Likewise, each of us became a Christian by listening, and we should continue in the same way. Colossians 2:6-7, “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness”
Like all little children, they are eager to learn more. There are many things to learn.
Hebrews 5:11 “We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn.” Hebrew 6:1, “Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death and of faith in God.”
Those who do not listen to Christ will be completely cut off.
Acts of Apostles, 3 : 22 – 23 « For Moses said, « The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people, you must listen to everything he tells you. Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from among His people.”
Acts of Apostles 2:42 says, “Afterwards they continued to listen, devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching.”